When Jared Cook signed with the Saints during Free Agency, we labeled it “an ideal fit.” In his brief time with the team and in OTAs, Cook’s done nothing but justify this, making a great first impression on Drew Brees and his coaches. According to Brees, Cook has “certainly impressed,” has “got a great feel for the game” and is “going to fit very well in our offense.” After chasing for the “Next Jimmy Graham” for the past four seasons, both the Saints and fantasy owners may have found their guy. With insane size and athleticism, a creative offense, and a stark QB upgrade, Cook could truly blow-up as a Top-3 TE in 2019.

At 6’5″ with a 39.5 inch vertical and rumored 4.37 forty, Cook drips in mismatch potential, especially in the Red Zone. Brees is already enthused, noting, “He’s got great length, so he’s got a big catch radius. You feel confident with those 50-50 balls. You feel like there’s a lot of places where you can throw it where he can get it and the other guy can’t.”

The coaches certainly have noticed as well. TEs Coach Dan Campbell gushed, “A phenomenal athlete… runs like the wind. He’s got 35-inch arms, he is long — man is he long– and he is fast.” In fact, Campbell said Cook’s been so impressive they plan to “dust off some old Jimmy Graham plays.”

Meanwhile, Sean Payton also sees a heavy YAC role, gushing: “He’s smart and he’s got range,” Payton said. “You see his route savviness and his ability to get in and out of cuts, and the best thing he does is run after the catch… he’s real good that way.”

Without an established third behind Alpha Hog Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara, Cook could easily slide into the No.3 role of the league’s third-highest scoring attack. As a Red Zone terror, just the TD upside alone is worth an stab. Still, with praise pouring in from coaches and QBs alike, expect an even greater role that gives Cook a shot to break his career high 68 catch, 896 yard, and 6 TDs from last year.

Bottom Line: Pass-catching specialist, who? Christian McCaffrey returned to his college workhorse roots under new OC Norv Turner, and quickly put up Fantasy MVP-worthy numbers. He continued to flash his otherworldly receiving abilities, hauling in an NFL record 106 catches for 875 yards and 6 TDs. Yet where the usage really rose was the carries, as McCaffrey nearly doubled his 2017 total for 215 carries, 1080 yards, and 7 scores. These 321 total touches ranked third behind only Ezekiel Elliott and Saquon Barkley, and this newfound volume created the ultimate ceiling / floor combination. In the process, McCaffrey flashed both the elusiveness, breakaway ability, and most shockingly underrated power to redefine the workhorse model.

​New OC Norv Turner deserves immense credit for this outburst. His previous work with LaDanian Tomlinson proved he wasn't afraid to ride a smaller-back, as he's able to scheme his guys in space and in creative outside gaps versus just blasting them up the gut... but even still, never before had an NFL back played nearly 97% of the team's snaps. Yes, this number inevitably will fall in 2019, but McCaffrey should still hover around 85-90%, especially with Turner returning. Expect a similar buffet of weekly volume with the upside for even more efficiency should the Panthers beef up their line while their explosive young wideouts take a next step forward.

Ceiling Projection: 320 touches (100 rec.), 2,000 Tot. Yds, 13 TDs

Floor Projection*: 270 touches (70 rec.), 1600 Tot. Yds, 7 TDs

Actual Projection: 310 touches (90 rec), 1900 Tot. Yds, 12 TDs

*Note - Floors are done without injuries in mind. Of course the lowest floor is torn ACL first play of scrimmage. This assumes 16 games